Government far from consensus to apply safeguards

The Ministries of Economy and Finance (MEF), Production (Produce), and Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) They have not yet determined if they will apply safeguards to Asian garments in the Peruvian market.

Luis Helguerohead of the Mincetur, pointed out that there is still no agreement and they will continue to technically evaluate the final report of Indecopi —which remains under lock and key— to make a final decision.

Despite the fact that Indecopi recommends it, nothing guarantees that the government of Dina Boluarte will opt for safeguards, since in previous administrations, such as those of Francisco Sagasti and Pedro Castillothe Multisectoral Commission of the aforementioned ministries did not apply them, not even provisionally.

Even, and the head of the MEF, Alex Contreras, announced that the safeguards “would represent a danger” for mypes because they would bring harmful “retaliatory measures” towards the local industry, that is, China could raise tariff rates for products we export to them.

will not be harmful

The former Vice Minister of Mype and Industry Juan Carlos Mathews recalled that, if the technical parameters of the World Trade Organization (OMC), there would be no inconvenience to regret for mypes.

“We must demonstrate that two things are fulfilled to apply the safeguards: the explosive growth in the importation of a product from a certain country, as before 60,000 were bought and now 500,000 (sic), and the damage to the local industry,” explained to The Republic.

For his part, Valeria Mezarinadirector of the Peruvian Association of Garment Manufacturers (Apic-Gamarra), warns that One million jobs in all of Peru in the textile-apparel chain are in danger, as well as 100,000 mypes that persist despite the lack of credit and high expenses to produce. “For example, a jean costs us 25 soles to produce it, while one brought from China costs an average of two dollars,” he said.